The return of Queens of the Stone Age, after a six-year absence, is causing a lot of excitement for fans. Tuesday evening, the audience at the Accor Arena was able to listen to songs from In Times New Roman, the eighth album by the Californian alternative rock group, formed in 1996 in Palm Desert. The Parisian room is almost full and the public waits quietly while listening to two first parts which have difficulty warming up the room. Adjective which will be the common thread for the public: quiet. The concert begins with the song Regular John, from the very first eponymous album Queens of the Stone Age. The charismatic singer-guitarist Josh Homme seems in good shape after a period of rather complicated personal life. The voice is well placed, the guitar riffs powerful.
Despite the great energy displayed by Josh Homme’s band, the audience remained contemplative. You have to wait halfway through the concert (the 10th song out of 19) with the legendary The Way you used to do to finally feel the audience interact, sing and vibrate with the group. Josh expresses his love for France and the pleasure of being on the Parisian scene. The second concert part is much more powerful. The essence of rock, of stoner finally takes its place. The interpretation of Go with the flow is pure joy. The room is in unison but a little too late because it is the penultimate song. A mixed performance compared to that of Nuits de Fourvière this summer, where the group delivered an explosive concert which reminded fans why they have been one of the dominant forces in alternative rock for years. Catch-up session next summer during the next edition of Hellfest.